


Escondite

by Cress221



Category: Arrested Development
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, M/M, Past Relationship(s), Sibling Incest
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-03
Updated: 2019-05-05
Packaged: 2019-05-17 19:26:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14837759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cress221/pseuds/Cress221
Summary: So apparently, Michael is into scuba diving, and Gob goes scuba diving while eating Captain Crunch. Here's a little alternate scene from season 5, at the secret little beach cottage. We also get memories of a past underage flirtation Michael had with Gob in the early 1980s. They were about 12 and 14.





	1. Don't Tell Michael

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers for season 5. The narrator has retconned Tracey's death to 1995-ish, but I'm keeping it at 2001, like it used to be in season 1. 'Cause it's my alternate world, dammit!

So Michael burst into the bedroom and found Gob there, not Buster. Gob was stunned too, asking, "Somebody told Michael? Does that mean we can leave towels on the floor now?"

Michael shut the door to have a private conversation. He glanced at the bed (where Tracey had died 14 years ago), and saw that Gob was spray painting a giant anchor, getting gold spray all over the bedcovers. What was this, some crazy magic prop like the giant glittery cross from his disastrous wedding illusion?

Michael asked what Gob was doing, so his brother explained about recently buying a trophy store and wanting to give Dad a trophy at the award ceremony.

Michael sighed and told Gob that it was futile to try to win Dad's love or impress him.

Gob wasn't really listening, and he was actually distracted by noticing that Michael was wearing a scuba suit. A tight black scuba suit.

He said, "Wow, you still look good in scuba gear."

Michael glanced at his suit and recognized that look in Gob's eyes, from the old days, when they used to go scuba diving together. He also finally noticed how Gob was dressed, in little black shorts and one of those thin beach shirts that he always left unbuttoned at the top. God, he still looked good after all these years. Grown middle-aged of course with a few more wrinkles, but still hot in that way that he shouldn't be hot. He wondered if Gob looked at him in the same way.

Gob lowered his voice, asking, "Feel like scuba diving, do you?"

Michael blushed and shook his head quickly. "I-I'm just going on a trip for my company. It's a work thing, for three months."

"Three months?" Gob hoped for a moment. "Are you asking me to go with you?"

"No, no. Not--I mean, we couldn't. Not like before..." When they used to dive together just to get away from their family for a little while, and stay out late at night. Happy to finally be allowed to spend time together without their parents trying to start a Boyfight. Even Mom and Dad knew not to risk a fight that could result in the boys losing their oxygen tanks or drowning each other. So they had peace and privacy for once.

And sometimes, if they swam far enough away from the cottage, and it was dark and no one could see them, they'd come up in the water and push their masks out of the way, just floating and looking at the stars shining on the ocean waves. They'd look at each other and laugh about Gob smuggling Captain Crunch in his gear to eat while diving. Then Michael would reach for his brother, wanting to be close and apologize for any boyfights that day. And Gob would hug him back and swallow his cereal, asking, "You really like me, Mikey?" "Yeah." And suddenly they'd be making out because it was the only thing that felt comforting in their fucked up childhood. Just another dark secret for Bluths to hide at Escondite.

Gob shrugged, swallowing his hurt that Michael wouldn't invite him along. "Search is going to make you carry a huge camera or something?"

Michael nodded. "Yeah, 'cause I'm mapping the ocean floor." He squeezed Gob's hand to reassure his brother that it wasn't personal. They just couldn't risk being accidentally caught on camera making out. (But he was admitting that it would be a real possibility if they went diving together again.)

Gob put down the spray can on the dresser and stepped closer, looking at Michael and touching his wet hair. He remembered those private scuba dives, as well as the day that Michael finally said they shouldn't kiss anymore, that it wasn't healthy or normal. So Michael moved on, and Gob proved how "normal" he could be by fucking every girl he could get. I mean, that was how Dad was with all his mistresses, so maybe he'd get approval for his conquests.

But all these years later, and after Cinco with Tony, Gob wondered if his gay feelings had their source in those secret embraces they shared as kids. Was that what was going on? He wanted somebody to cling to, like he used to with Michael?

"Michael, I--" he was thinking about confessing Cinco to Michael, to say what happened with Tony Wonder, but what would Michael think? Would he be judgmental and angry about being roofied? Would he shout "I knew it!" again, and Gob would have to shush him? Would he criticize Gob for not being "normal" anymore? So Gob gave up. "Nevermind."

Michael looked at Gob, feeling nostalgic for the old days. Wondering what it would taste like if he kissed Gob now that they were grown up. But no, that was wrong. That was not normal. He felt sad again and tore his eyes away.

He glanced at the bed where his wife died and felt ashamed. He let go of Gob and went over to the bed, sitting on it and touching it. Not exactly the same of course. It had been 14 years, and apparently much used by the family. But he looked at the room, remembered when she was here, and tried to punish himself with guilt for being tempted by Gob here, of all places. Here, where he tried to give her comfort in her last days, and tried to be brave for George Michael as he lost his mom.

Gob wasn't too dense to understand his brother's dismay. The anchor was still wet and staining the bed, but Michael hardly noticed, soaking the sheets with his wet suit.

Gob explained, "I didn't even know that they didn't sell the cottage at first. They didn't tell me about it, guy, just like they didn't tell me about the cabin at Lake Tahoe. You kept saying, how nice it was of them to sell this place, and I kept thinking, Nice! They're never nice. But the one time they are, it's for you. Of course. The favorite son."

Michael sighed, knowing the reason for Gob's jealousy and pain, even if it was selfish.

"I only found out later, when Tobias let it slip that he and Lindsay were bringing Maeby again to teach her how to swim. And well, I wanted to see her, and make sure she wouldn't faint like George Michael did around aquariums and stuff."

Michael regretted that his son was always so afraid of scuba diving. He thought it would be a fun thing that they could bond over. That he could remake his boyhood memories of scuba diving with Gob into something more innocent and normal. How pathetic for him to keep inviting George Michael scuba diving, to try to make up for their fight over Rebel Alley.

"So anyway, they helped me sneak past the guard gate, and I got to hang out here. Feel like maybe not all the family hated me."

Michael looked up and reached out for Gob's hand again, giving a silent squeeze of reassurance to his brother.

Gob continued, "I couldn't give it up, and after Dad caught me here while he was banging Stacy, he said fine I could come here, but only when the rest of the family was invited. I asked if that included you, but he said no. We can't tell you just like we can't tell you about the company cars. If you found out, you'd be mad at us. You'd say 'you lied, and that makes it worse.'"

Michael rolled his eyes.

"So, I guess, having another secret from you, and knowing they didn't really do something nice for you... it made it better, I guess. For me, not you."

"Right." Michael knew why Gob needed that kind of validation. Their family fucked him up so much that he was here making an anchor trophy for Dad. Using spray paint in a confined space for a couple of hours. He stood up and went to the window, "Maybe you should open this up, you know. Let the fumes out."

Gob joined him at the window and asked, "You forgive me, don't you?"

Michael shrugged, busy opening the window.

"You still like me?" he asked in that plaintive way that tugged at his heart so much.

Michael looked at him and nodded. 'Yeah, I..." He gave in, reaching for Gob's face and kissing his lips softly. Then he pressed his forehead against Gob's and murmured seriously, "Take care of yourself."

Then he let go and walked to the door, forgetting why he even came into the room in the first place. Lucille was obviously hiding Buster here, maybe upstairs somewhere, but he was a Milford man, so it would be impossible to find him. Arguing was pointless. He should just let her go on teaching her dumb lesson until she forgot why, just like she forgot why she sent Annyong away to Milford.

Gob followed him and worried that Michael was trying to leave for good, not just for this three month scuba trip. Maybe he was quitting the family like he did back in 2006, not merely crying Phoenix again. "You're coming for the award ceremony, right?"

Recalling the ridiculous Family of the Year award, Michael said at the door, "Goodbye forever."

Gob relaxed, relieved that Michael was just crying Phoenix again. "See you tonight."

"See you tonight," he said, as he opened the door and left.


	2. History Repeating Itself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens between the brothers, post-parade.
> 
> Sorry Blunder fans. I like Tony Wonder, but there's a window of opportunity here that I can't ignore. And if Michael's gonna teach anybody a lesson, well, why not this?

The audience mistook Buster breaking out of the jail float as a Keystone Kops skit, and then the staircar drove off, knocking down the Lucille Austero pinata and causing children to run into the street for the candy. Debrie saw them and tried to stop the Bluth float, but she crashed through the fake wall.

Due to all this chaos, Sally Sitwell called for an ambulance, and went to try to clear the parade route to let them in. On TV, John and Joni Beard had to announce "technical difficulties" causing the parade to shut down. Soon "Annette" went to break up with the unconscious Stan Sitwell, but left when she saw Sally come back.

Leaving the injured clown with Tobias, Michael finally arrived on the scene of the jail break, along with his parents. George insisted that Oscar was the one who broke Buster out.

"Oscar?" Lucille realized she had been fooled at the cottage earlier. "Oh no!"

Michael wasn't really listening to his mother panicking. After going to all the trouble of bringing the photo to Lottie Dottie to get Buster out of jail, Buster was now on the run, risking 30 years imprisonment if he got caught. The photo was now moot, because Lottie would go after the fugitive regardless.

He was stunned, not knowing what to do to save the family now. Lucille insisted that she was the one who had to save the family, and she repeated that there was some family secret he didn't understand, something about an earlier parade in 1982 where Buster had been in a float. History repeating itself. Buster was just 9 at the time while his older siblings were teens in high school. Other more important things had happened that year, like Michael playing Peter Pan the lawyer in that play, and Lindsay losing a school election to Sally Sitwell. Michael couldn't figure out what Lucille could be referring to in 1982, long after the schoolyear ended.

In a tailspin, Michael wandered away, figuring that he should tell George Michael that the truth of the photo didn't matter now with the prison break. Instead of his son, though, Michael came across Gob's Laguna Closet Conversion float. Like all the other floats, it had stopped moving, but Gob didn't. He kept going around the right hand closet, calling out, "Tony! Tony!" His cries were especially desperate because there was no music playing, and the audience had already left to gawk at the other disasters along the parade. Gob was alone in his despair, his voice echoing in the microphone headset he wore.

Michael had missed the illusion on purpose, after Gob asked him to substitute for Tony Wonder earlier. Of course something had gone wrong; something always did because Gob wasn't a good magician. But Gob was panicking in a way that he usually didn't after one of his tricks failed. Usually his brother would just cover up the mistake by asking, "But where'd the lighter fluid come from?"

So Michael hurried closer and climbed onto the float as Gob began hyperventilating. "Gob! Gob!" He shook him a little and pulled the microphone away so he could touch his face.

Finally seeing his brother, Gob collapsed onto his knees and started to cry. Actually cry. "Gob?" Michael tossed the microphone aside and asked him what happened.

Gob couldn't answer, still sobbing and stammering. Michael raised his brother and tried to comfort him with a hug. "It's okay. I'm here." Something terrible must have happened. Much worse than sawing into a dog during the disastrous illusion at high school commencement. School officials had quickly stopped the trick and rushed the dog to an animal hospital.

Michael looked around, trying to figure out how this trick went wrong. He noticed that the right hand closet was different than the left. The door of the closet was open, revealing a concrete block inside. What? Concrete couldn't dry in the little time that the parade had been going. There were some quick-dry mixes on the market where it took 20-40 minutes to set, but even then, you still needed to wait 4 hours or so before you could put real weight on it and continue building. Michael knew that from house construction. Besides, the more concrete you poured for a project, the more you had to wait for it to harden the whole way through.

This must be fake concrete, some kind of magic prop. Although there was a pretty convincing crane nearby with a pump and a concrete pour hanging over the top of the closet.

Finally Gob managed to say something in the midst of his blubbering against Michael's shoulder "He's dead."

"Dead? Who's dead?"

"Tony. Tony's dead."

"What?" Michael took a moment to stare at the closet and realize that Tony Wonder must have been inside during the trick. "But he could have just opened the door--"

Gob shook his head and cried again. "No trap door." He wished Michael had a forget-me-now on him so he could forget this whole thing. Believe once again that Tony was alive somewhere, that he merely didn't show up to the parade.

"I mean the front door." He pointed at the open closet door. "The concrete wouldn't have dried before he could open that front door and go out. It would just be gloppy and heavy like wet oatmeal, but he could walk through it and escape."

"Yeah?" Gob asked, finally raising his head.

"Yeah. Come on." He stood up with Gob and went to the closet. He touched the so-called concrete, and it felt like foam. Then he knocked on it and it dented. "Look," he said, turning to Gob, "It's fake. Just a trick. You know, like that fake house we built once."

Gob stared, hitting the foam too. "It's not real?" He saw the substance crumbing under his hands. A mere illusion?

Michael nodded, then hit harder, trying to break through, and Gob helped until they punched a hole through the foam and found that it was hollow, nothing more than a shell. It was probably just a layer on cardboard. Gob kept frantically tearing at the fake block to make the hole larger. When he could see inside, he sank down and scrambled on the floor for something.

"What are you--? Oh."

Gob hit some kind of release, and a trap door opened. "It's there." He knew those closet guys wouldn't let him down. But then, why did Tony lie? Did he just not find it? Or did he get knocked out when he fell through, like when Gob got knocked out inside the boulder during his Amazing Jesus wedding illusion? Gob gave Tony the benefit of the doubt, and he peered down into the darkness. "Tony! Tony?" he called again.

No answer, so he turned and jumped feet first through the trap door. The crawlspace wasn't that deep, since it had to fit under the float, and the closet guys had put in some tiny lights so that the magicians wouldn't bump into each other, or the machinery that kept the closets spinning.

Gob let his eyes adjust to the dim light under the stage and he looked all around, trying to find Tony. But there was no one there. "Tony!" he was losing hope.

Michael stayed by the closet, looking down into the trap door and listening to Gob move around under the float. He seemed kind of manic and lost.

Then Michael heard a sudden noise, like a door opening, and a shaft of light seemed to filter in under the stage. "You okay?"

But Gob didn't answer. Silence for a moment, and then it sounded like Gob collapsed again, crying.

"Gob?" Throwing caution to the wind, Michael finally jumped down himself. If they got stuck here, he figured he could always call for help. Crouching, he made his way over to Gob, and to his relief he spotted a small hatch just a few feet away. It looked like it led to the back of the float, peaking out through the curtains. There was no one here but him and Gob. "So he escaped, right?"

Gob bit his lip and showed Michael a microphone headset just like his, but covered in glitter. Tony must have left it behind. "He's gone."

"But he's alive," Michael said, not understanding the problem. Surely this was better than when Gob was accused of killing Earl Milford at the retirement home? "Your trick didn't kill him or hurt him. Everything's fine."

But it wasn't. Gob tossed the headset aside, looking numb as he stared into the darkness. "He left me. He heard me calling for him, and he just left me."

Michael frowned. "Hold on. You mean that escape wasn't planned?" He didn't really know what the trick involved, other than what Gob had mentioned about coming out gay.

Gob sniffled and spoke bitterly, "No it was planned. He added that door. He was late. He came to say goodbye. He planned it. He escaped _me_."

Michael came closer, wondering if this was another twisted revenge or sabotage, a way to frame Gob for Tony's supposed death.

But then Gob continued miserably, "I asked him to stay, but he just left. He let me think..."

Michael hugged him close, trying to hush his brother's sobs. He recalled how Gob had kept talking about Tony Wonder constantly, almost compulsively. He had said Tony's beard tickled him, and he started dating a Beard. Damn, if he hadn't been so self-absorbed about George Michael, he would have seen earlier! Michael whispered, "You love him?"

Gob clung to him and cried into his shoulder. "He hates me. He was just pretending..."

Michael was getting angry on Gob's behalf. "That bastard. How could he be so cruel? He could have just not showed up." But to do this to Gob was pettier than even Rollo at the Magician's Alliance had been. And in public on the parade?

"I thought... we were the same. But then he forgot. He took the pill and he didn't want me."

"What?"

Gob finally broke down, confessing all about Cinco as Michael tried to absorb what happened. It was a disjointed, complicated story of revenge and obsession that turned into something real. Michael felt so sad for Gob that he couldn't even be angry about the roofie. He realized that Mom probably did call him and ask him to take care of Buster. He'd been such an idiot, teaching them a lesson for no reason.

It was his fault Buster went to jail, and now everything was worse with Buster escaping with Oscar. Everything was so screwed up, and he had no idea how to fix it.

Michael tried to be less self-involved and more comforting, "It's okay, Gob. I mean, you should have told me about Cinco before, but it's all right now. I'm here for you. You don't need Tony. You deserve better than him. Somebody who'll treat you right."

Gob shook his head and shuddered at the thought of someone else. "Not Kitty."

"No, not her." Michael felt somewhat guilty for pawning Gob on Kitty Sanchez again, but after all, Gob had volunteered to go with him in the first place, before trying to back out. Michael hadn't really expected Gob to succeed at getting the releases back from Kitty. After all, Gob had failed to get any information from her when Michael promised him a touch lamp. Michael had just wanted Gob to keep Kitty busy while he talked to Ron Howard. "You'll find someone when the time is right. Somebody who loves you." He patted Gob's hair.

"Nobody loves me," Gob said miserably.

"Hey, no." Michael recognized that self-loathing tone of voice. Mom and Dad had made him so desperate for love, but had warped his idea of love with their toxic example. "You never really tried before, Gob. You didn't love girls and you always had an escape plan. But you can find the guy who's right for you. Who loves you and makes you happy."

Gob thought he had already found that guy, that he and Tony could be together. But he left him behind. And now Gob remembered the tapes from the predator show, and he worried that they were going to leak. "Mom and Dad are gonna hate me, when they find out I'm not normal." They already hated him, but it could be worse. "They're gonna kick me out." Out of the company. Maybe out of the family too, like sissy cousin Larry.

Michael scoffed, "Like they're so normal? Mom drugged Dad for two years!" He added dismissively, "It's a long story."

Gob shrugged. Yeah, Dad had been acting weird lately.

"Anyway," Michael tried to explain, "you don't have to be straight to be normal, Gob. I didn't mean it that way when I said we should stop kissing. When I said it wasn't normal, I didn't mean being gay. I meant, because we were brothers... Are brothers."

Gob wasn't sure that he believed him. Michael had sometimes told him this before, when trying to get Gob to stop peacocking like Dad, but Dad had always convinced him that Michael was just jealous of all the sex Gob was having. That Michael got off on judging him while being all sanctimonious about his marriage to Tracey.

Weighing his options, Gob finally asked, "If they kick me out, Mikey, would you let me stay with you?"

"Of course, Gob. Yeah." He nodded and caressed Gob's face again. "Come stay with me at Search, and..." Michael imagined leaving town with Gob. Avoiding responsibility for Buster's mess. Letting Mom save the family however she wanted to. It was tempting to not face Lt. Toddler again or Lottie Dottie or Barry or anybody. Mom would handle everything just like she orchestrated all the lies and crimes in the family for so many years.

Michael could just be with Gob, taking care of him, helping him get over Tony's betrayal, helping him handle coming out of the closet. Why couldn't they leave, just like Lindsay had done? They could be alone and...

He sighed and nuzzled Gob's cheek, feeling that sad nostalgia again, that ache to be with his brother, away from prying eyes. It felt so good to sit here, holding Gob in the darkness, and he didn't want to let go. "Gob." He kissed his lips again.

Gob was surprised but went with it, like the earlier kiss at Escondite. It was comforting, like all the times that Michael kissed him when they went scuba diving.

But this time, Michael didn't stop with just one kiss. He kissed him again, more intensely, more like the kisses Tony gave him on the night of Cinco.

Gob broke off and asked breathlessly, "Mikey?"

His brother squeezed his hand and whispered, "We could go scuba diving, and more."

Gob blinked as he realized what Michael meant. The risk he was willing to take. He recalled how tempting his brother had looked in that scuba suit the other day.

Michael leaned close and spoke more fiercely, "We could teach that bastard a lesson for ever hurting you."

Gob nodded. He did feel betrayed and hurt by Tony Wonder. Why wait here for him to come back and reveal his trick? He should just leave with Michael and not stick around, all desperate and pathetic. Yeah, teach Tony a lesson, like he and Michael taught their father a lesson for the boyfights.

So Gob pulled him closer and kissed him passionately, remembering when he first taught his brother to French kiss. He wanted to teach him so many things still.

Michael moaned and closed his eyes, wrapping his arms around Gob in the familiar way. History repeating itself. He was overcome with a flood of emotions that he'd been holding back so long. He'd missed Gob. He'd missed how hot wrong it felt to taste him and smell him. To love his brother too much.

"Mikey," Gob murmured in his ear. "You really want to? What if Search found out?" Not to mention George Michael.

"We could go somewhere else," he answered. "No cameras. I mean, I didn't go on the scuba trip, but I'm already scheduled for three months leave. We could go to the model home in Cabo."

"Where?"

"They didn't tell you about that, either?" Michael kissed him comfortingly and told him that Dad built it as another escape. "We'll go there and get revenge on them. All of them." He knew this wasn't healthy, but fuck being healthy for once. Even knowing he'd be Gob's rebound from Tony Wonder, it'd be worth it just to be close to Gob, for a couple of months at least before he had to face reality.

"Yeah." Gob ran fingers through his hair and said, "Let's get your scuba gear then."

Michael nodded and let Gob pull him along, guiding him out the back of the float. They looked around to make sure the coast was clear, then they made a run for it, to find Michael's Prismo car in the parking lot. As they got in and directed the car to the model home, where he was currently crashing, Michael realized that they probably shouldn't drive this car all the way to Cabo. He told Gob, "I mean, Search didn't try to escort me back from Mexico, like they did with the other car, but we only got fifty feet across the border."

"Don't worry, we'll take my yacht."

"Oh, you still have the C-Word?"

"Yeah, and we can repaint it. Name it something new so nobody recognizes us down South America way."

Michael would normally correct him that Baja wasn't South America, but he didn't care. Gob was running away with him, and he felt excited. He felt free. "Okay." They could be together, at least for a little while.

Gob debated what to rename the yacht.

Meanwhile, Michael realized that he could leave behind the problems with Ron Howard and Rebel Alley too. Why stick around trying to interfere in George Michael's love life? All the lying and paranoia had led to the car chase in Mexico. His son was grown up, a college graduate older than Michael had been when he married Tracey. When Michael was 20, all the Bluths had said he was too young to get married, and Dad had even accused Tracey of being a gold-digger who got pregnant on purpose. But Michael knew they were wrong, that he and Tracey were really in love. So maybe Michael was being paranoid now about Rebel, and George Michael was right, that Rebel did love him. After all, she did give him money to help his company. Let George Michael sort that out for himself like an adult. Michael shouldn't interfere or hover over his son, like when he moved into his dorm for months.

He explained this to Gob, as they held hands in the car. Gob agreed that it was a good idea to give George Michael some space, and he looked at Michael fondly. He had always loved his brother in this twisted way, this way that Michael said was wrong, but now it seemed Michael loved him back. Gob realized that Michael even loved him enough to risk everything. His job, his son, his being "normal". It meant so much to Gob, and he really needed that now. Gob could hardly wait until they were alone on the yacht again, able to kiss.


	3. Fleeing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I go back and forth debating whether Gob and Michael should take things slow due to Michael's inexperience and Gob not being over Tony, or whether they'd be eager and reckless, like irresponsible Bluths. So it depends, I guess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I was researching the route to Cabo, I found out that there's a private yacht club race from Newport Beach to Cabo San Lucas, every other year since 1971. That must be what inspired George Sr to build the model home in Cabo; he planned to escape there after a race. Anyway, the distance is 800 nautical miles and takes about 3 days, though of course you can take a more leisurely pace if you're not racing or are anchoring overnight at some ports/islands along the way. In this story I'm going to make the trip last about 5 days.

At the model home, they grabbed the scuba gear, then packed some cash and food for the trip. (There were still lots of leftovers from Buster's welcome home party.) Gob decided to change out of his costume from the parade, and Michael asked him to wear those little black shorts again. Gob grinned but said he left those shorts at the cottage when he changed to go to the award ceremony. For now, he changed into some borrowed clothes from his brother; Michael's clothes were short and tight on him.

He looked so hot, Michael risked another naughty kiss before they hurried from the house, not eager to get caught by any family members at Sudden Valley. For once, they didn't leave a note. Back in the Prismo, they turned off their phones and drove to the docks.

Soon they climbed aboard the yacht and loaded it with their stuff. Then they untied the vessel and carefully navigated out of the harbor, still nervous that their family might catch them, or that the police would want to question them about Buster's escape. Michael browsed the instruction manual on how to turn on the autopilot, and he set the course for Cabo. Technology had changed in the years since Gob blew up the family yacht the _Lucille_ during Spring Break 2004. GPS made it easier than ever to pilot a yacht without a ship's crew.

"Dad sure would have liked to have this in the yacht race," he muttered to himself. The local yacht club held a race to Cabo San Lucas every couple of years.

During their childhood in the late 70s and early 80s, their father had often tried to win the race as a status symbol among their rich neighbors, just like how he always played God in the Living Classics pageant every Christmas. Lucille Austero's husband had been alive at that time, and George had to compete with that Austero guy if he wanted Lucille 1's help with his feud with Stan Sitwell in return. Poor guy, dying in a yachting accident in 1982.

While Michael stayed on the bridge, Gob went downstairs to change out of Michael's clothes into his own beachy clothes, and as he looked for another pair of little black shorts, he suddenly made a discovery. "Franklin!"

He put the puppet on his hand, asking, "Where you been, bro?"

Gob answered himself, "Sorry, lots of forget-me-nows." He hadn't seen Franklin since 2006, and he felt a wave of nostalgia and affection. He had so much to tell his old friend, and no idea where to begin. Gob got a little sad, murmuring, "Me and Tony Wonder... well, I was trying to get revenge on him, and we, uh, we had a sex date on Cinco. It was great, but then he forgot me the next day. I thought we were the same, and that he was gonna come back, but he... he left me behind." Gob swallowed, but then switched modes, trying to distract himself with manic cheerfuless.

"But look, Franklin, we're going to Cabo!" Gob brought him over to the portholes to look out on the ocean in front of them. "Me and Michael made up. We're gonna run away to Cabo, and he said we're gonna scuba dive and everything."

"Cabo? What's in Cabo?"

Gob shrugged. "Dad built a model home there for an escape, and he told Michael about it. We're gonna go there now and get revenge. He kissed me and everything." It was still amazing, that Michael finally wanted to do incesty stuff again.

"Wow. Knew he wasn't normal," Franklin said smugly.

Gob nodded and put down Franklin long enough to change into his booty shorts and put on a Hawaiian shirt, leaving several buttons undone as usual. "Come on, let's go surprise him!"

He took Franklin to the bridge and sneaked up on Michael excitedly. "Look who I found!"

Michael turned and jumped a bit. "Ah!" He felt ambivalent about Gob taking a step back mentally with the puppet, but who was he to judge, when he was here, choosing to regress to his youthful crush on his brother? Michael was also pleased to notice that Gob had changed into sexy clothes. "Hey."

Gob took that as a "hey" to Franklin and smiled, sitting next to Michael with the puppet.

Franklin said to Michael, "Hey, bro. Going scuba diving?"

Gob answered himself, "Yeah he was gonna go on this three month scuba trip for work, but he missed it, so we're going together now. Gonna skip town and teach them all a lesson."

"What work?"

Gob started to answer Franklin again, and Michael decided he better interrupt this conversation.

"Speaking of Cabo, do you know how I found out about it?" Michael told Gob what he knew about the model home in Cabo, and how Dad had planned to escape there during the _Queen Mary_ disaster in 2006. "Guess he figured he couldn't get past the guard gate at Escondite." Mom had found out about Dad cheating on her there, so she made sure he couldn't use the cottage anymore without her being present.

Gob in turn told Michael about the road trip through Mexico with Dad. (Michael had missed his brother's awkward speech at the award ceremony.) Hearing the details now, Michael felt that running away with Gob at least seemed healthier than that hot mess.

He talked about the recent car chase in Mexico and explained to Gob how they discovered that Mom drugged Dad with estrogen pills.

Franklin said, "That's fucked up," which was pretty true.

Soon Gob got up, putting Franklin down in his chair on the bridge. "You watch the autopilot for us," he said. "We gotta paint a new name on the yacht."

Glad for an excuse to be alone again, Michael followed Gob downstairs to the main deck. In a cabinet, there was some leftover paint supplies from the last time Gob painted the name. As he shook up the paint can, they discussed possible names. Michael wanted to rename it dull, boring "Seaward" instead of "The Gothic Masthole" as Gob suggested. Michael said that name would be too memorable, and they wanted to be anonymous in Cabo.

Gob grudgingly conceded and they started to paint, sitting close together so that Gob's long bare legs often brushed against Michael. He wished they could risk a kiss, but he worried that they'd see someone who knew them until they got past San Diego. Still, Gob smiled and flirted with Michael, saying he liked how he looked with the sun shining on his hair.

After painting, they went back inside to put away the stuff and wash their hands at the sink. Then Michael cooked them a small dinner, while Gob poured alcohol. They dined at the couch together, often looking out the windows to make sure their ship wasn't being followed.

At sunset they seemed to be leaving the country unimpeded, so Michael put an arm around Gob, kissing him and running fingers through his hair. It all came back, the way they used to be, how they comforted each other secretly, to cope with growing up Bluth. It felt good and familiar, like home. The only good part of home.

Gob remembered how it made him feel, that the favorite son liked him despite everything their parents did to encourage hate and jealousy. It meant everything, that Michael cared about him and wanted him. That he would be naughty and immoral for him. Gob had tried to initiate kisses alone in their bedroom as well, but Michael had been more nervous then of being caught by family or one of the servants like Rosa; he'd only consent to a hug that could be passed off as brotherly if caught. So if Gob wanted illicit love, it had to be scuba diving, where they could not do more than make out due to their awkward gear and wetsuits.

Back then, Gob had imagined running away with Michael someday, somehow, to some place where they could be alone and more physically intimate. He'd thought that Michael wanted that too, but he was disappointed when his brother decided to stop their kisses in high school. No more dives all of the sudden. He'd got a crush on a redhead girl named Tracey and he wanted to be more normal for her; she would never understand if she found out about them, would never marry him. Gob had pointed out that Michael had never actually spoken to her, much less dated her. He would never marry her. Michael dared to dream anyway, and ran in the election for class president, hoping to get Tracey's attention. Gob used every dirty trick that Dad taught him to make Michael lose. To punish him and teach him a lesson. He made sure that Michael knew about every girl he fucked in revenge too.

Gob had been so jealous when Michael finally did date Tracey in college and managed to marry her after all. He kind of wondered if Michael got her pregnant on purpose, trying to force the issue so Dad would have to accept their marriage. When Gob set her hair on fire at the wedding, Michael got mad, accusing Gob of jealous sabotage. It took years for Gob to even sort of become friends with his brother again, and the occasional moments that Michael would show him kindness were all that Gob lived for, for so long.

With Tony Wonder gone, this old flame still had power. It helped ease the pain of rejection. Michael was actually running away with him, after Gob had given up all hope of it. And Michael had implied that they would do more than scuba dive, more than just kiss this time. He wanted this, and it made Gob's heart skip a beat.

After making out awhile, the brothers finished their drinks and went to the controls on the main deck at the front of the yacht. Michael checked that they had indeed passed the border, and he found a place for them to anchor for the night.

Once they were securely anchored, Gob kissed him again, and they finally decided to go downstairs to bed.


	4. Fits and Starts

Gob led the way to the main stateroom downstairs; there was a large bed, as well as a "head" (a toilet, shower and sink) nearby. He turned on the lights as they entered, and pressed his brother up against a wall with a hot kiss.

Michael had one hand on Gob's ass and another hand inside Gob's beach shirt, roaming his hairy chest.

"You hot for me, huh?" Gob asked with a grin.

Michael nodded, reaching to undo the last few buttons of his brother's flimsy shirt.

Gob impatiently unbuttoned Michael's blue shirt and started pulling it out of his pants. "You always wear too many clothes for California," he complained. Even in July, his brother always wore a t-shirt under his button-down shirt.

"We're in Mexico now."

"Definitely too many clothes for Mexico."

Michael agreed, taking off his shirt and shoes. Gob steered him toward the bed while undoing his brother's belt. Soon Michael let his khakis fall to the floor, then pulled off his undershirt and tossed it aside. It messed up his hair, and he felt somewhat silly standing in only boxers and socks, but Gob just sat him down on the bed and peeled off the socks.

Michael was glad that he'd done a lot of family-on-family self-defense courses lately; if he hadn't been physically fit, he would feel more embarrassed about getting naked. He hadn't taken his t-shirt off the last several times he'd had sex with women. Still, despite all his family-on-family training, Gob had been able to tackle Michael at the Austero penthouse very easily. Michael had no defenses with his brother, even after all the years of Boyfighting too.

Gob discarded his own shirt and joined Michael in bed. He hesitated, looking into his brother's eyes. "You ever been with a guy, Mikey?"

He shook his head. "No." Gob had often, out of paranoia or jealousy, accused Michael of dating other men, but he was wrong. Something about the sin and the thrill of the forbidden made Gob far more tempting than any random hot guy that Michael met.

Gob asked, "Really? Not even that one time with Tobias?" He meant the romantic spa package from the bachelorette auction.

Michael groaned, "That was not a date." He'd already told Gob so years ago.

"But you guys were in robes, and you'd been in the jacuzzi--"

Michael admitted, "Well, he tried to grab me there, but I stopped him."

"What?!" Gob got jealous and a bit angry at Tobias. "Tried to grope you at the penthouse too." After Gob had tackled Michael to the floor at Lucille Austero's place, Tobias joined them, pretending to help Michael stand up, but he was so obvious that Dad had to help, and Tobias finally admitted being grabby. Gob said suspiciously, "He called it brotherly bathhousing too. You didn't tell him about us, did you?"

"No of course not. That's just his usual gay innuendo." All this talk of Tobias was a real turn-off, and Michael wanted to get back to sex. He kissed Gob soothingly. "I don't want him. He's not sexy, like you."

Gob smiled crookedly. "I'm sexy, huh?" He'd started to doubt himself, after gaining some weight recently and having trouble feigning lust with his Beard. He used to be able to fake things better.

Michael nodded and lay down on the bed, pulling his brother close so they could lay skin to skin. Only his boxers and Gob's shorts separated them, and his hands once more explored Gob's body. He didn't mind Gob not being shredded, because Michael preferred him when he ate more than just parmesan and mustard. They made out and tangled their bare legs together.

Gob was excited to be Michael's first male lover, just like he had been his first kiss. He could teach him all about gay sex--or, normal sex. And just like that, Gob was reminded of being with Tony. He frowned and pulled back.

Michael looked confused. "What's wrong?"

"I, um," Gob looked away and tried not to be upset. "I thought about Tony."

"Oh." Michael felt disappointed but he knew that Gob wasn't over Tony Wonder. Maybe it was too soon to sleep together, and Gob needed time to get over the abandonment. Maybe they ought to wait until they got to Cabo to have sex. Trying to be patient, he hugged Gob close again and kissed him gently. "It's okay. We can take things slow."

Gob returned the embrace but sighed. He tried not to think about Tony. He tried to remember the fact that he had sex with lots of guys before he met Tony. Of course, even when Gob wasn't following people to their cars for money, he often just hooked up with guys while picturing Michael's face. Things were different with Tony. He wasn't picturing someone else, and he had real feelings for Tony. With him, it was more than sex; it was making love. If only Tony felt the same about him. If only he had stayed instead of tricking Gob and escaping the float.

"I'm sorry." So much for teaching Tony a lesson. Revenge sex used to be his specialty.

"Don't be." Michael caressed him and lay his head against Gob's shoulder. "You want to talk about him?"

Gob shook his head. It hurt too much to remember Tony and how they had normal sex on Cinco. Why did he have to toy with Gob's feelings by showing up to the parade? Gob saw Tony in costume on the float before they got into the closets. He noticed that Tony's spiky hair wasn't black anymore and that he'd changed his W-beard again. The grey hair didn't make him look older; it just made him look like a silver fox. Damn Tony for being so sexy hot.

Michael tried to comfort Gob, and he pulled the blankets over them since apparently they weren't going to have sex tonight. "Okay, let's just lay here together."

Gob would normally scoff about Michael being girly and wanting to cuddle, but he felt needy enough to not protest now. He looked at Michael's disarranged hair and patted it down, so it wouldn't remind him of Tony's spiky hair, then he reached for the light switch by the bed.

In the silence, they heard the ocean waves lapping against the yacht. It made Gob recall many fishing trips they took with Dad on the family yacht. Michael used to get seasick and need seasick patches. Dad made fun of him for being a bigger sissy than Buster.

That all changed when the brothers started scuba diving as kids; Michael forgot to put on a patch under his wetsuit, but he didn't get sick that day. Realizing this, he swam up to the surface so he could take off the scuba mask and speak to Gob, who had followed him, thinking that Michael surfaced because he needed to vomit.

Instead, Michael happily explained that he was "cured"; maybe it was just the disgusting bait and fish guts that made him nauseous before. If he was fine with the ocean itself, then becoming a maritime lawyer wasn't out of the question. Michael had been so ecstatic about this, that he even hugged Gob. He used to only do it when they were screaming during a lesson with the one-armed man, but now Michael was happy to hug Gob in other contexts. He'd do it whenever they scuba dived, trying to make up for the Boyfights at the same time. Gob had loved such brotherly affection, and eventually they began kissing too. 

Remembering those secret dives, Gob traced his fingers down Michael's skin, pulling back the blankets to look at the freckles he had wanted to see and touch for years. Gob confessed sadly how he had wanted to run away with him when they were kids. "I was gonna make us fake IDs, steal a car from Dad, and take you on a magic tour..." They'd probably go to Los Angeles first thing, so they could see the Magic Castle.

Michael was surprised. "Really?" He considered that scenario but said they would never get away with it. "Dad would find us. Stop us." And who knew what the punishment would be if they were caught in bed together? That was why, back then, he chose to focus on Tracey rather than trying to stay with Gob in high school. Be realistic, healthy, and normal.

Gob shrugged and was just glad that Michael was with him now. Even if they hadn't done much more than making out yet.

Michael sort of wished they did run away, though. He said that they should have done it after Tracey died. "I mean, a few months later, I guess. We could have gone to Phoenix for real or maybe Lake Tahoe. I mean, maybe you could have made a fake birth certificate for me, and George Michael might have been a dumb enough kid to believe it and be okay with us together..."

Gob cried to imagine that life. Maybe it would be better if Gob never fell in love with Tony and had his heart broken. If he'd had Michael's love, that would be good. They could have been a weird family of their own.

Michael cried and apologized for keeping Gob away from George Michael. He should have allowed them to be friends and bond over magic.

"Yeah, and he could hang out with Franklin. He'd keep him busy, while we got busy."

Or else they'd do it while the kid was in school. But overall, Michael realized that it was better that they had waited until George Michael was an adult running his own internet company. This way, they didn't have to feel guilty for abandoning him, and maybe someday they would be able to make up with him when they returned from Cabo. Having Gob make a fake birth certificate wasn't a half-bad idea.

Gob tasted Michael's tears, and Michael kissed him. Not thinking about Tony now, Gob started kissing him back, and they slowly got hot again.

Michael was pleased to feel Gob's tongue slip back into his mouth, and he started running hands over his skin again.

Gob pushed aside the blankets and turned on the lights.

"What?" Michael blinked and shaded his eyes.

"Sorry," Gob said and dimmed the lights slightly. He really wanted to see Michael naked. That was the whole point of why he turned on the lights when they came downstairs. He sat up and reached to pull off Michael's boxers at last. His brother blushed, but raised his hips and helped kick off the underwear.

Gob looked him over, head to toe, thinking of how long he'd wanted this moment. Then he pulled off his booty shorts as well and tossed them to the floor.

Michael stared wide-eyed at his naked brother and seemed more shy now, not as handsy as before.

Gob assured his nervous brother, "Don't worry, Mikey. I'll teach you how to be a real bananagrabber." He punctuated his remark by palming Michael's banana and nuts.

Michael was both amused and aroused. As Gob started stroking him, he moaned and lay back down with his brother. They made out again and tangled their legs together.

Gob kissed down Michael's neck and decided to give him a hickey, since there would be no one to hide it from for months now. Silly things, corny things he'd wanted to do when they were young, in defiance of their parents. To show that someone in the family loved him.

Michael closed his eyes and sighed, tentatively trying to touch Gob's erection too. He needed to get used to fooling around with Gob, especially if they were going to be together in Cabo. Touching Gob was certainly different than touching himself, and he wondered about Gob's experience with gay sex. Maybe, given Gob's past sex work, he should have insisted that they get condoms. But they didn't have time to make another stop after the model home. Hopefully they would get a chance to buy some in Mexico and get tested.

Gob squeezed Michael's ass and asked, "You want to--?"

"Not without condoms," he said. "And lube."

"Sure." Gob was pleased that Michael wasn't ruling out fucking yet. He went back to showing Michael how to give a handjob.

Michael opened his eyes and watched. His heart beat faster, and they got more excited, cupping each other, then finally starting to wrap their hands around each other's erections. They found a pleasing rhythm and instinctively started competing against each other to get each other off. Michael tried to keep up, but he was not used to doing this, and he succumbed to Gob's more skillful hands.

He cried out Gob's name as he climaxed, then Gob kissed him deeply. He shifted them in bed and humped against Michael's hip to finish. They made such a mess in the sheets.

"Mikey," Gob rolled them out of the wet spot and wiped them clean with some tissues. Then he snuggled with his brother and went back to working on that hickey.

Michael felt happy that Gob had taken it easy on him for his first lesson in gay sex. Hopefully there would be more to come. For now, he pulled the blankets over them and reached for the light switch. "Good night."

"Good night." Gob tried to be happy. He successfully had some revenge sex after all, but in the darkness, he couldn't help remembering the guy he was trying to get revenge on.


	5. Reflections

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long delay for a new chapter. Not much happens here, just some discussion between the brothers about past events in their lives. Gob's gonna talk about Tony Wonder again when he's alone with Franklin later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are a few post-Cinco scenes from the original season 4 which got cut or disappeared from continuity in the season 4 remix, such as Gob waking up in bed, getting a phone call from his mother telling him that he's now Bluth Company president. He later gets the call from Tony, as the narrator explains that Tony took a roofie. This scene was probably cut when they wrote season 5 to have the Bluths scatter for two months. But at the parade, Tony says there was no May 4th this year, confirming that he did take a roofie. Also, season 5 shows Sally getting scared off during the night of Cinco and leaving town with Tony in a suitcase, so I'm not sure why he'd then call Gob for a sex date on May 5th. I'm going to try to fix that here.
> 
> Also, apparently the AD writers aren't aware that flunitrazepam is legal in Mexico as a sleep aid, and Gob doesn't need to bribe the guy at the store for the roofie. All he needs is a prescription.

In the morning Gob woke up in bed with Michael. It was the first time he'd woken up with a guy, because most of his previous hookups over the years had been quick and dirty, shamefully covered up within minutes. Following people to their cars for money was a way to pretend that the sex was merely a transaction, not something he actually yearned for and enjoyed more than straight sex. This deniability was also why Dad didn't immediately kick Gob out of the family after Gob's arrest for prostitution in the 1990s. Gob didn't have to come out to his parents if they just assumed he was stupid, high on cocaine, and desperate for money.

Even on Cinco, Tony didn't stay the night with Gob; he got some kind of panicked phone call from some woman and had to leave, saying it was an emergency. As he dressed, Tony looked kind of guilty but said he'd call Gob tomorrow for another date. Gob guessed that maybe Tony felt nervous about Michael still lying roofied and unconscious on the floor of the model home, so he reluctantly kissed Tony goodnight and watched him leave. Then he walked into the living room and looked at Michael, considering whether to move him to a bedroom, or at least lay him on the couch and put a blanket over him. But he worried that he might wake his brother up and have to explain or lie about how he ended up there. Also, the whole thing with Michael shouting "I knew it!" when he saw Tony made Gob paranoid that Michael was jealous or going to smugly criticize him for not being normal anymore.

So Gob just sighed and went back to the master bedroom to sleep. Unfortunately, in the morning he got a call from Tony that sounded muffled. He said he was in a suitcase at the airport. "Sorry I can't make our sex date, Gobie. Something came up and I have to leave town for a while. Besides, did you realize there's no May 4th this year? My calendar's all messed up." It was obvious to Gob that Tony had decided to forget him, and that was what sent Gob to Mexico to buy more roofies so he could forget too. He didn't even wake up Michael before he left the model home in the limo.

But now Gob was on the yacht, waking up with Michael, who was naked and sporting a hickey on his neck. It made him feel a little better that Michael so visibly belonged to him now, even if he was sad about losing Tony. Gob once again patted down Michael's hair so it wouldn't be spiky.

Michael finally stirred and woke up with a smile, glad that he hadn't dreamed yesterday. He had attempted to escape his family so many other times over the years, only to always fail. How silly for him not to realize that the key to success was to escape with the part of his family who knew all about escape plans. "Morning."

"Morning." Gob looked into his brother's eyes and asked the familiar, needy question, "You really like me, Mikey?"

He nodded and answered fondly, "Yeah." Michael didn't mind the neediness, remembering all their secret scuba dives together. "I do." He kissed him. "I missed you so much, Gob. Like, all those years alone at Sudden Valley..." What a fool he'd been to not try to reach out to Gob after quitting the family in 2006.

Gob held him close. "You should have helped me escape my wedding, Mikey. We could have combined our bee companies, disappeared..."

Michael remembered Gob's offer to be his assistant in the wedding illusion. "I thought you'd got Egg pregnant, that you had to stay with her." He didn't want to be party to Gob abandoning yet another kid.

Gob shook his head. "No way." Sure she got fat, but they were engaged for two years with no baby. That kid must have been Tony's. He frowned, suddenly worried now that Tony's mysterious emergency on May 4th was to get away from Egg demanding child support payments. Skipping town just like Gob skipped town on Eve Holt.

Meanwhile, Michael regretted not checking in with Gob after the televised wedding disaster. "I'm sorry I didn't visit you in the hospital. My stupid pride. The houses didn't sell, and I thought all our family would be there and make fun of my failure." Plus, he was trying for once to make quitting the family stick.

Stupid, naive Michael. Gob scoffed. "Those death traps in Sudden Valley wouldn't sell even in a good economy. You should have come rescued me from that rock, just like you dug me up when I got buried in that coffin."

"I know. I'm sorry." He kissed him apologetically. "Well, now we can make up for it."

Gob agreed and cheered up. "Yeah. Really fuck our way through Mexico."

Reminded of the need to stock up, Michael said, "Speaking of fucking, we should go ashore to buy some condoms and lube. We could get Captain Crunch cereal too."

Gob smiled, pleased by Michael not being embarrassed or shy. "Definitely."

Michael considered how to broach the subject of getting tested for diseases. "Gob, remember when you said you had a herpes outbreak with Kitty?"

Gob cautiously wondered why Michael was talking about their crazy ex-secretary. "What, you think I actually fucked her at Imagine?"

"No. I mean, you didn't, did you?" He should have checked with Gob and given him a ride home from Hollywood, but he got all distracted at Ron Howard's party that day.

Gob hesitated to mention how Tony Wonder had called him while they were in the LEM. So he just told Michael, "No I didn't, 'cause I'm--I'm gay."

Michael realized the enormity of Gob saying that out loud, after all the years of closeted denial and overcompensation with women. "Oh, Gob!" He kissed him. "I'm so proud of you."

Gob felt elated that Michael was finally giving him praise, which he had ached for so long. "Good job?" he asked.

Michael laughed and nodded, giving another quick kiss. "Good job."

Gob pulled him close and moved Michael's hand suggestively toward his groin, "Want more practice at giving me a job?"

Michael gave him a fond caress but tried to return to his point. "Gob, the reason I asked you about Kitty is that if you caught something from her, then maybe we need to see a doctor and get tested for any other STDs. Maybe get you on some medication too?"

"Oh." Gob frowned for a moment and remembered when he had syphilis while living with the entourage in Malibu. He hadn't told Michael about that yet. Gob figured that he was okay now since he got released from that Mexican hospital, but maybe he should get tested to make sure he didn't roofie away knowledge of anything else. "I guess. I don't know what you've caught either from all those crazy women." Michael's taste in women since Tracey died was defective; possibly his Bluth insanity attracted him to people who were fucked up too. Rita wasn't half-bad, but she was an MRF and Michael never had sex with her.

Michael shrugged, knowing that he did repeatedly have sex with Maggie Lizer without a condom while he thought she was blind. Good thing she told him she couldn't have kids. "Yeah we both need to get tested. So when we go ashore, we'll have to see if we can find a doctor who speaks English, okay?"

"Okay."

Michael then got up from bed and went to take a shower. He did pause, though, to look at his new hickey in the mirror. He smiled, feeling shameless and happy to finally be with his brother in this illicit way. Starting all over together.

Gob followed him and chatted, "It shouldn't take long to find a doctor. All the touristy places have lots of Mexicans that speak English. I found my Mexican doctor near the border real quick." He used to drive there all the time in Mark Cherry's limo.

Michael looked surprised. "You have a Mexican doctor?" He was standing in the shower stall now, but had not turned on the water yet.

"Sure, he prescribes all my forget-me-nows." Gob explained, "They're legal in Mexico. It's called flu—fluna--flunapam or something. Anyway, the store I go to knows what I mean when I give them my prescription."

"You mean your roofies?" Michael looked concerned and grabbed his brother's arms for emphasis. "Gob, you can't keep doing that. It's--" He almost said it wasn't "healthy" but worried how Gob would react to that, since incest wasn't healthy either. Maybe "regular wrong, not hot wrong"?

Before Michael could decide, Gob said, "Okay, no more." He apologized again for drugging his brother on Cinco and said he didn't want to forget stuff anymore.

Michael looked relieved by the sincerity in Gob's eyes. He always had be to careful, since the entire family were such liars. "Good. Thank you." Michael hugged him close and kissed him.

Gob then squeezed into the shower with Michael, closing the door and starting the water. Michael didn't object, and actually had fun playfully washing Gob clean.

It was also definitely way more pleasurable than that time that he shared a shower with George Michael at his college dorm. Michael belatedly realized that all his crazy behavior the last few years, all the cracks in his sanity, were due to missing his family's presence to stabilize him. He most especially missed this brother that he loved too much. Yes, maybe the whole thing with Rebel Alley was a huge mistake, trying to recapture his old love with Tracey. In a twisted way, it might have been healthier if Michael had gone to pursue Gob instead of yet another woman that wasn't right for him.


	6. Welcome to Ensenada

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ensenada, Mexico is a port city in the state of Baja California. It is almost 80 miles south of the border, and is a hub for many major highways. Cruise ships arrive weekly with tourists, and there's even an annual yacht race from Newport Beach.
> 
> Bringing a yacht into Mexico actually requires applying for a temporary import permit or TIP, or else they will seize your boat. However, since reading about how rich people register their yachts under the Cayman Islands flag to avoid taxes, I'm just going to go with the Bluths doing the same, and make them exempt from getting a permit. I mean, if AD can have cops hold Buster in jail for 2 months merely on "evidence tampering" and make it illegal to give awards on a crime scene, then I can fudge Mexico's laws so that Gob and Michael can keep the yacht.

After their shower, the brothers dried off and groomed themselves. For once Michael dressed casually in the gym clothes that he usually wore for family-on-family self-defense classes at Search. Not that he wanted or needed self-defense against family this time. Gob meanwhile insisted that his brother, a "how dey do dat", could not watch him put on his magic devices under his clothes, so Michael had to stay in the bathroom until Gob finished dressing. Then they headed upstairs and had breakfast.

As they ate, Michael said fondly that Gob was magical without any tricks.

"Illusions, Michael. Tricks are something a whore does for money." Still, he kissed his brother with a smile.

With that opening, Michael brought up Gob's sex work in the 1990s. "Remember when you followed people to their cars for money?" He held Gob's hand and wished that Gob had been able to come out after his arrest. "I would have helped you then, if you'd let me."

Gob shook his head and frowned. "I couldn't, wasn't ready." After all, he'd only just admitted he was gay today. "I didn't want to get kicked out of the family, or reveal our secret dives."

Michael could understand that, given their homophobic parents. Back then, he had worried about how to explain things to Tracey without confessing that they used to kiss each other. Theoretically, he should have been able to tell her that Gob was gay without talking about the past, but he found himself blushing guiltily and unable to face his wife whenever he made an attempt. Michael also half feared that Tracey wouldn't let him take George Michael on scuba diving lessons if she knew about him and Gob making out. So he chickened out of telling her, and he only got Gob into rehab for the cocaine.

Gob admitted, "I thought about you a lot, Mikey, when I had sex with guys."

"I know. But I wanted you to be happy without me. Find someone else..." But he remembered how Tony abandoned Gob at the parade. "You can do better than Tony Wonder."

Gob appreciated the sentiment, but was still sad. He kissed Michael to change the subject. "I gotta make us fake IDs to use at the doctor's office. What name do you want?"

"Oh. Chareth—"

"Cutestory, maritime lawyer. Got it."

Michael smiled, amazed at what details Gob could remember despite all his roofies. He didn't bother telling the "cute story" he'd meant to tell Maggie Lizer.

Gob told Michael that he couldn't use Franklin's name as an alias, because it was "in the system" since the mock trial. He said he would use Derek Taylor instead, after that Bluth-like kid on _Silver Spoons_. They reminisced about the TV show and finished their breakfast.

At 9AM, Michael climbed up to the bridge, to find a port where they could dock and go ashore. Gob came up with him, only to greet Franklin in the copilot chair and take him downstairs with him. "Franklin, we gotta go make fake IDs for Mexico."

Michael got out some maps and charts to look up the nearest port city that he thought would be large enough to have English-speaking doctors. He recognized the name Ensenada as another destination for yacht racing, so he set course for it and pulled up the yacht's anchor.

Meanwhile Gob went downstairs to another cabin where he kept his forgery supplies, but mostly he just wanted privacy to talk to Franklin.

Sitting down on the twin bed, Gob excitedly told Franklin that he and Michael finally got naked and "sonsummated" their relationship last night. "He says we're gonna fuck too, after we go buy stuffs in Mexico."

Franklin was impressed. "Wow, he didn't even wait to scuba dive again."

"Yeah, and did you see the hickey?" he asked proudly. "Anyway, we gotta find a new doctor and get tested too." As Gob explained their talk this morning, he told Franklin that he got syphilis in Malibu but he got cured of it in a Mexican hospital.

"Why were you in Malibu?"

So Gob ended up explaining other things that happened to him over the years, such as how his wedding illusion went wrong, how Egg dumped him in the hospital, how he met Steve Holt in the bar, and finally how he met the entourage and moved to Malibu. Mentioning JBJ, he told Franklin that he recently dated JBJ's stepmom Joni, so JBJ wasn't talking to him anymore.

"But I dumped that Beard," Gob lied. Actually Joni had got tired of Gob being unable to have sex with her, so she had split with him before the parade.

"Maybe she'll get back together with her ex-husband."

Gob shrugged, then told Franklin about John Beard's predator show and the cameras that were in the model home on Cinco. "I hope the sex tape doesn't get leaked. But Michael said I could stay with him if I get kicked out of the family."

"Me too? Or you gonna leave me here again?"

Gob said apologetically, "I'm sorry I forgot you. I'll ask Michael later." But he was worried about other things now. "Franklin, I think Tony Wonder left on May 4th because Egg demanded child support and he skipped town. He called me the next morning, but he took a roofie and forgot our sex date. Then he didn't call me for two months. I guess he must have been on a magic tour or something, but he said he was in another suitcase, coming back to town. I was in a LEM with Kitty and couldn't get out."

"LEM?"

Gob digressed enough to explain his trip to Imagine with Michael, but then he returned to Tony's call. "He said we couldn't hang out, that we'd brand each other's taint or something. I mean, it sounded painful, but I wanted to see him anyway. We tried to talk in unison, but it didn't work anymore, and he hung up on me."

"That's awful," Franklin said.

"Yeah, then I had to get Kitty not to tell anybody about Tony. Michael didn't come back, so I had to call for a cab."

"What a jerk, to leave you there," Franklin pointed out.

"Well I didn't tell Michael yet about Cinco, and I guess he forgot because of Hollywood BS. 'Cause when I got back, Michael had signed some TV contract with Ron Howard and convinced Mom to let him do an interview to make Buster look innocent." Gob thought about how dumb Michael was, always screwing up, yet he was still the favorite son. "With that, the bail, and the 'missing person' thing, Michael really choked on helping Buster."

"Yeah, what a geobead!" Franklin agreed.

Gob winced a little, remembering when he realized what "geobead" meant. But fuck Dad! That was partly why they were going to Cabo, to get revenge on Dad. "Anyway, so then I decided that I needed to get back in the closet, and I met these closet conversion guys who built my parade float."

He told Franklin about Tony agreeing to participate, and exactly how the parade float went bad. "That's when Michael helped me, and I confessed about Cinco."

"And Tony just escaped? Even though he could hear you on the headset?"

"Yeah," Gob got upset remembering how he really thought Tony died. "I mean, why would he do that? How long did he plan and set up that concrete? Why--? How--?"

He went to his dark place again, hearing the music and unable to understand how Tony could do that to him. Like, if Tony was just faking his death to get out of Egg bugging him for child support, why couldn't Tony at least tell Gob so they could plan it all together? Why screw up "the double closet sexuality switch two-hander float" illusion in front of everyone? Could it be true that Tony really did sabotage Gob's wedding illusion all those years ago? And not satisfied enough with that victory, he was still screwing over Gob? On Cinco, was the sex nothing more than an illusion for Tony? Did Egg tell Tony about the plan with the video cameras, so Tony just used Gob to prove he was gay?

"Gob? Gob, where are you?" Michael called out. He didn't know that different stairs led to different cabins below deck.

Gob finally snapped out of his darkness and looked at Franklin warningly, "Don't tell Michael!" he whispered, before putting down Franklin and wiping his eyes so that Michael wouldn't see that he'd cried about Tony.

When Michael found him, Gob was rummaging around in his forgery supplies. "Sorry, I'm not done. I got distracted telling Franklin stories about everything that happened the past ten years."

"Oh." It was actually 9 years since the Queen Mary incident in 2006, but Michael shrugged it off and helped Gob put a laminator down on a desk with papers and inks. There was even a family photo album which he was apparently using for ID pictures.

"Yeah, I told him about Mom going to jail, Lindsay leaving... you know. Family stuff."

"Okay." Michael refrained from trying to point out that Franklin was just a puppet. He was trying to be less critical and more relaxed. "Anyway, I just came to say that we're arriving soon, so if you could get ready to tie up the yacht while I steer into the docks..."

"Okay." Gob followed Michael upstairs. Michael returned to the bridge, while Gob headed for the anchor and ropes.

It was about 10AM as Michael switched off the autopilot to manually guide the yacht into the crowded marina. He avoided the huge cruise ships, and they drew up to an empty spot at the pier. Soon they dropped anchor and Gob tied up the yacht. As Michael came down to help make sure the knot was secure, some woman approached them.

Michael assumed that she was the marina attendant, so he tried to ask her how much was the fee, and if she would take dollars, but the woman waved away his attempt to pull out his wallet. "No bribes."

"Bribes?"

She said she just needed to check what flag they were flying, and she moved so they weren't blocking her view. "Oh, Cayman Islands. Fine." She irritably checked off something on her clipboard, then went to write down the name of the yacht and its location.

"Is something wrong?" Michael asked, worried that they were flying the wrong flag. He hadn't even paid attention to what colors the yacht flew; at first glance it looked like a Union Jack, such as one might see in Wee Britain, so he didn't closely inspect the coat of arms.

She spoke sarcastically, "No of course not, because you're rich Americans flying Cayman Islands instead of US colors. Just to avoid taxes and get exempt from our TIP laws."

"Tip?" Gob asked, not sure if she meant she wanted a bribe after all. Maybe an under-the-table thing, like Dad paying him a Bluth Company paycheck.

"Temporary import permit for your yacht. If you were under your real flag, you would have to register, show documents, and pay taxes to be allowed to stay at a Mexican port."

"Oh." Michael was a little relieved, even if she was annoyed with them. If they were exempt here, they would be exempt in Cabo too.

The woman sighed, then tried to be more tourism-friendly. "If you need to exchange dollars to pesos, you can go to the bureau." She pointed to a large official building in the distance. "The marina attendant is down there too, and you both should probably go show your passports at Customs."

"Oh, um, thanks." Michael started to be nervous again, because he didn't have his passport; it was still with his luggage on that Search boat mapping the ocean floor for 3 months. He didn't need the passport lately because the car chase in Mexico took place in the so-called "free zone" near the border where they didn't check tourists' IDs regularly.

Gob however said with a wink at Michael, "Sure, I'll get our passports downstairs."

Michael relaxed then, realizing that Gob could make that just like the fake IDs. It was better not to give their real names.

The woman warned them, "Go early. There may be a line, and the offices close at 1PM."

"Okay, thank you," Michael said, as he watched her head to the next yacht to check the flags.

Michael hurried to join Gob downstairs and tell him that the offices closed at 1PM. He also recalled their previous trips to Mexico together. "Promise me you won't do your chicken dance when we go ashore." He didn't want Gob to get beaten up again.

Gob said irritably, "Well, it's their fault for thinking that being homosexual is an insult."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Michael patted his arm. "We'll try to avoid homophobic people anyway." After all, Michael wasn't planning to hide his hickey, and he was looking forward to holding Gob's hand in public like a real goddamn couple.

Gob pulled out his template for a US passport and started making a copy.

Michael asked, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Well, pick a photo you want to use for the passport."

"Okay." Michael opened the photo album and noticed how many pictures Gob had saved of him over the years. Some were even cut out of larger family portraits, where the Bluths had been stiffly posed for some formal public event. But there were more casual photos too, and DVD covers from the Boyfighting videos. Gob even had a copy of Michael's mug shot from when he got arrested for allegedly kidnapping a Mexican woman in his car. He could have thrown that incident in his brother's face a lot, but he hadn't really. "Wow."

Gob looked at Michael and wondered if he would complain that Gob shouldn't have cut those pictures out. 

Looking through the album, Michael realized that this was where Gob got the closeup of his face for the card Gob included with his Franklin CD. He recalled how emotional Gob had been, singing a love song from the CD for him. "Remember your CD with the card?"

"You remember?" Gob asked, not entirely sure if Michael had really listened to the whole CD.

"Yeah, I--" He looked touched and kissed Gob. "I'm sorry I never thanked you for it. I just, I worried that George Michael would find out--"

"I know," Gob said. Michael always worried about his son disapproving of anyone he'd date. It would be even worse with a family member.

Michael nodded. "And if we started something secretly, he'd say 'you lied and that makes it worse.'"

"But why should he be upset? I saw him making out with Maeby at the award ceremony the other day."

"Really?" Michael had missed it when he went to call the police to find out if they had Buster in custody.

"Yeah." Gob remembered the cousins making out just as Lindsay left.

Michael was stunned and also selfishly hopeful that George Michael was okay with family-on-family dating, if he was making out with his cousin Maeby again after all these years. But wasn't he dating Rebel Alley too? Everything was so muddled and confused. But that was part of why he left, so he wouldn't be responsible to fix his family's problems.

Gob just got back to work on the fake passports.


	7. Worth It

When the fake passports were done, Gob and Michael put on some sunscreen and got ready to leave the yacht together. Going ashore, they walked down to the visitor's bureau and held hands like a couple. As they waited in line for customs, Michael said they should probably find a local map or phone directory so they could find a doctor's office or hospital.

Gob suggested instead that they go to a farmacia first to buy condoms, and then it would be natural to ask the pharmacist where they could meet an English-speaking doctor.

Michael had to admit that was a good idea--smart, even. Gob loved being called smart, and he beamed; he looked so cute that Michael couldn't resist kissing him right there in front of all those people in line. Here in Mexico, they were free to pretend they weren't family. They were just lovers on vacation together. Michael felt happy and relaxed, and Gob fondly caressed his brother's hickey as if proud of it.

When they finally got to the front of the line, they showed their passports, and the agent didn't suspect Gob's forgery at all. He just stamped them and flatly listed what plants, animals, and other items were prohibited in Mexico. The guy asked them how long they were staying in Mexico, and when they said a couple of months, he told them to fill out a tourist visa called an FMM, which would let them stay up to 180 days in Mexico. So Michael and Gob quickly filled out the forms.

How wonderful that would be, if they could stay in Mexico for 6 months, but Michael knew that he would have to return to work at Search, and that they'd have to check in with their family to learn if Buster was captured yet or not. At least Gob could come live with him on the Search campus if they were careful and used Gob's fake ID. Maybe they'd check in with George Michael and Steve Holt too, once they returned to America.

Finally the brothers got through customs and changed their money for pesos. They soon paid the marina attendant for their yacht being anchored at the pier.

Leaving the bureau at last, Michael and Gob walked up the beach into the city. It was almost lunch time, so they looked around for a restaurant. Gob wanted to try some street food, but Michael was less certain of the cleanliness of the various vendors. Gob almost wanted to call him a chicken, but remembered that he shouldn't do a chicken dance in Mexico.

So Gob stayed on his best behavior, keeping an arm around Michael until they finally found a cafe where they sat down to eat. They flirted and played footsie under the table, enjoying the chance to be affectionate in public. Michael loved being naughty.

After lunch, they went to the local farmacia to buy condoms, lube, and a few groceries like Captain Crunch cereal. This was indeed a touristy place, because there were many American brands here. They asked the pharmacist to recommend a local doctor who spoke English, and he recommended a nearby walk-in clinic serving tourists.

Using their fake IDs again, they checked into the clinic and asked for rapid tests so they could get results today before they left Ensenada. It took about forty minutes testing for everything that was available. Luckily, the results came back negative except for Gob's herpes, but Michael had expected that. The doctor asked Gob how often he had herpes outbreaks lately, and he replied that his outbreaks were only once or twice a year now. (He'd first been infected over 10 years ago after all.) So she wrote him a 5-day script to fill at the farmacia.

"Take it at the first sign of an outbreak, to lessen your symptoms." She added, "When you return to America, make sure you see your regular doctor for a new script, and keep having safe sex." She was glad to see that their bag of groceries already had condoms in it.

"Yes, thank you," Michael said, as he left with Gob. Outside the office, he told his brother, "You should get a new doctor when we get home to America. No more seeing that roofie guy."

"He's not a roofie guy, Michael! He's a real doctor. Better than Tobias."

Michael shrugged. That was a low bar to clear. "Better than Dr. Miller?" He used to be the Bluth family doctor before losing his license.

"Sure. My Mexican doctor never helped Mom frame you for a car accident." Gob asked, "What, you got a better doctor now?"

Michael said, "Well I got a doctor on my Search medical plan. Maybe you could see him too when we go back."

Gob shrugged. "I guess."

Making another stop at the farmacia, they filled the anti-viral script and also got some milk to go with the cereal. Gob, of course, frequently ate the cereal without milk while scuba diving, but Michael thought it would be good to have milk anyway. Then they hurried back to the yacht to put away the groceries in the fridge. Gob thought they should go enjoy the beach now, since they had paid the marina attendant for the whole day.

Michael was tempted, but it was so hot outside that he wanted to stay on the air-conditioned yacht. "Let's stay here," he said with a kiss, "and celebrate you not having an outbreak now."

Gob grinned and nodded, starting to pull Michael out of the kitchen.

"Don't forget the bag," Michael reached for the bag that still had the condoms, lube, and Gob's medicine.

"Right." He led the way downstairs, back to the cabin with the big bed. It was late afternoon, with plenty of light still shining through the portholes.

Michael paused again to put Gob's medicine in the bathroom, but he left the rest of the stuffs on the nightstand within easy reach. Back in bed, they undressed slowly, being careful of Gob's magic devices, and Michael savored being alone with his brother again.

"Mikey," Gob kissed his hickey sensuously and squeezed his ass. "You wanna fuck now?"

Michael nodded and imagined how hot wrong it would be to have Gob fuck him. But as the doctor had reminded them, they needed to be safe. He asked, "On Cinco, did you... did you use protection with Tony?"

Gob frowned to be reminded of the runaway magician who broke his heart. He got sad at the memory of that night, almost two months ago, and he looked away.

"I'm sorry," Michael said, realizing that he'd spoiled the mood.

Gob avoided answering the question directly. Instead, he pointed out, "We didn't use any either last night, guy."

"I know." Michael was aware of how reckless he was being since running away with Gob. But that was the whole point, the thrill of doing forbidden things with his brother. He shrugged, "I guess it doesn't matter, since you were only with Tony for one night. The tests today would have shown if you caught anything from him, and if he caught anything from you, surely he would have mentioned it when you talked to him."

Gob shrugged and stayed quiet, thinking about the couple of times he talked to Tony on the phone before the July 2nd parade. He tried hard not to go to his dark place again.

Michael hugged him and caressed his face reassuringly. "I'm here for you, Gob. It's okay. We have each other now."

Gob clung to his brother and tried to stop hearing the sad music. To change the subject, he sat up and abruptly confessed to Michael about how he got syphilis when he was in Malibu with the entourage. "But don't worry, 'cause they cured me in the hospital."

Michael was shocked, and he felt upset about the whole sordid history in Malibu. He wished he really had been there for Gob after his failed wedding years ago. "I was so stupid not to go see you at the hospital. Stupid, stupid Michael."

It was comforting to know that Michael was aware of how dumb and incompetent he was sometimes. Gob kissed his brother and apologized for not telling him sooner.

Michael felt that the whole roofie cycle was partly his fault for abandoning Gob, and he apologized profusely. They cried together and kissed each other comfortingly. "I love you," he whispered, running fingers through his hair.

Gob just blubbered incoherently and hugged him tight.

Michael hushed him and pressed their foreheads together. He understood why Gob didn't say it back. He was on the rebound from Tony and fearful of risking his heart again. It was probably much like how Michael had felt after Tracey died. Besides, Gob had loved Michael for years, even if he felt too vulnerable to say it now. After all, he had made Michael a whole CD of songs, 10 years ago in 2005.

Though Gob was relieved that Michael still loved him despite his syphilis confession, Gob felt a little wary about love in general. It took him a long time to admit to himself that he loved Tony Wonder, only to have the other magician abandon him at the parade. Gob needed time to trust a lover again, even if he was family. He couldn't take it if Michael rejected him later for some reason, for George Michael or the sin or whatever. Gob just clung to him.

They stayed that way for a while, tasting each other's tears and murmuring soft words. Instead of having sex again, they grew tired enough to eventually fall asleep into a restless nap.

* * *

They only woke up later that evening as the sun was setting, directing light right through the portholes into their cabin. Yawning and covering his eyes from the dazzling light, Michael asked if Gob was hungry yet, then they put on robes and headed upstairs for dinner.

Michael cooked a quick meal in the kitchen while Gob opened a bottle of that duty-free vodka. They ate at the table by the couch, and they pretended they were at the cafe again, playing footsie and feeding each other messily. But alone on the yacht, they did much more than they would ever do in public.

By the time Gob had one hand inside Michael's robe, teaching him once more about how to give handjobs, Michael closed his eyes and moaned. Gob sat behind him, rubbing his groin up against his lover's ass. It felt so great to be lovers now, and not just brothers.

Michael gasped and urged, "Downstairs. The lube--"

"Yeah, okay." Gob let go and got up from the couch, pulling Michael with him.

Soon they fell into bed together, discarding the robes and kissing passionately. Gob grabbed the lube and started opening Michael immediately, turning him over on top of the blankets. Michael spread his legs and also liked Gob using the lube for the reach-around too.

Gob pressed sticky fingers into him, and Michael hissed, imagining Gob's erection inside him. How exciting it would be to, in a way, lose his virginity to his brother. It felt appropriate, somehow. His first kiss, his first male lover, his first time to be fucked, as if he'd always been saving himself for this. Michael wriggled when Gob started teasing his prostate.

"Mikey," Gob bit into the hickey on his neck and kept fingering him skillfully.

Michael gasped at the thought that Gob fucking him was another way to say he belonged to him, just like the hickey. "Oh God." His brother was magical indeed.

Gob was getting hot too, and he paused to stroke himself some more before he put on the condom. He gave Michael a light spank, then he pushed slowly into him from behind. He tried to do it as gently as he could, and he made a joke about Michael still being a tight-ass.

That made Michael laugh a little and relax enough to get the head in. "Oh." He tried to get used to the feeling and wished he could turn and look at Gob, but this was good too, as Gob resumed the reach-around.

"You like cirsumvrenting, don't you?" Gob asked, earning another laugh.

Michael bit his lip and supported himself on his knees as he felt Gob sink all the way into him. It was a delicious burn. Gob was on top, but it felt like Michael was the one diving in, to a place that was both familiar and new. An ocean where they could be intimately tangled up in each other's emotions and bodies and souls. The sin only made it doubly good.

Gob took a breath to steady himself, then he started to move slowly back and forth. Trying to hit that sweet spot again and trying to pick up the pace without hurting his brother.

Michael closed his eyes and moaned encouragingly against the pillows. Tony Wonder was a fool to give this up. Michael didn't want to, not as long as Gob wanted him. If only they could stay together longer than just these two months in Mexico. If he only he could be sure that Gob would still want him, not just on the rebound from Tony.

Gob fucked him harder and faster, starting to lose control. He kept stroking Michael's erection too until his brother cried out and shuddered. Gob thrust into him a few more times before he finished too.

They soon went limp, all sticky and sweaty. Then Gob slipped out with a sigh, tossing aside the condom before turning Michael around to kiss him breathlessly. He didn't care about the mess, just pulling Michael out of the wet spot and singing a sappy love song to him.

"Oh Gob," he was touched and happy.

After they got under the blankets, Michael leaned his head on Gob's shoulder and they cuddled once more.

Gob stroked the hickey again and counted Michael's freckles. This was so new to him, loving a guy and being loved in return. Being his brother made it hot wrong.

As they lay close, Michael murmured how he'd missed Gob all these years and that he'd only dated Rebel Alley because she reminded him of Tracey. The fight with George Michael and the whole misunderstanding with Ron Howard's family made that relationship too difficult. Too much trouble, not worth it.

Gob was worth it, though. Worth running away together and hiding from family. Worth it, even if this meant they weren't healthy and normal.

"What's so great about being normal?" Gob asked.

"Yeah." Michael watched Gob fall asleep.

He got a little sad again. Michael knew that crossing this line with Gob was something he could never come back from. That he'd never get over this, and never look at his brother the same. That he'd always ache for him and love him too much, even if he had to go back to being just brothers again in front of their family. Gob deserved to find love again, to find someone better than Tony Wonder who'd abandoned him. Someone better than Michael, who'd failed him too. Whenever Gob found that guy, Michael would have to do the honorable thing and let him go, pretend to be happy for him and not jealous.

Yet even as he lay here with Gob imagining that future heartbreak, Michael knew that Gob was worth it. Michael wanted to do everything to make Gob feel safe and loved now. To take care of him as long as Gob would let him.


	8. Memory Suppression

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michael and Gob, still on the yacht in Ensenada, discuss family memories from 1982. (SPOILERS for season 5B)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'll be continuing this alternate universe story to cheer myself up about the disappointing end of season 5. A lot of it didn't make sense, like all the Sudden Valley houses disappearing and Mimi being Lucille's mother, when Nana died in season 1. Also, why the hell is Gob's childhood talent "push ups" instead of piano, when we clearly saw him sing and play piano in season 1?
> 
> For my AU, I'm going to arbitrarily make Mimi Lucille's older sister instead of her mother, so that Nana can stay Lucille's mom. This makes the ages work better in my opinion, and Lindsay will be Michael's cousin not his aunt. None of the Bluth kids know about Lindsay's real birth parents, though.

During the night, Gob dreamed about Tony Wonder. Memories of having normal sex on Cinco blended with his new memories of being with Michael. Then making out with Michael when they scuba dived as kids, and then suddenly out of nowhere, he saw the old magic kit from 1982, with its prophetic slogan "Feel the wonder inside you!" But the dove on the box suddenly came to life and flew at him. It startled him awake at nearly 3 AM. "Ahh!"

For a moment he didn't recall being on the yacht in Mexico, and he thought Michael was Tony Wonder in his arms on Cinco. Gob felt sad and disappointed when he remembered the truth and his heart stopped racing. He felt frustrated and dumb for still missing Tony, who had tricked and abandoned him at the parade. If only Gob could get over him!

Michael woke up too at his yell and looked at Gob sleepily. "What's wrong?"

Gob looked away guiltily and muttered, "Nothing, just, uh... you remember those family pageants?"

"At the beach house?" Michael hadn't thought about their childhood summers in a long time. Ever since Tracey died there and he thought the family sold Escondite, Michael had avoided thinking about the cottage. But with the secret out and Mom living there lately, traumatic memories came back to him.

Gob nodded. "Remember how my talent was always push ups?"

"It should have been piano," Michael said, "but they didn't want to bring a piano there. Said the sea air would ruin it."

"Yeah," Gob said, "and they wouldn't buy me an electric keyboard instead, like Lindsay got a harp." In her desperation to win, Lindsay had overloaded on pageant talents like singing, harp, and tap dancing. Gob was really good at playing piano, but of course Mom and Dad didn't want him to have a chance to win anything.

Michael said, "And Dad said piano was a girly talent, so you got good at softball instead and went to the gym to do push ups, and he still wasn't satisfied. Never was!" Not with any of his sons. Nor sissy cousin Larry.

Gob hugged Michael closer and fondly recalled how Michael had often commiserated with him when they scuba dived at the beach. "So fucked up anyway." He didn't find out for years that Mom and Dad were the judges, and the pageants were rigged until 1982.

Michael continued complaining, "And what the hell did they make us have a swimsuit competition for? We were kids!" He realized how sick that was to be sexualized just like those little pageant girls in makeup and tiaras on reality shows. Maybe that was part of how Lindsay got so screwed up, along with Mom's constant criticisms. Michael was glad that Barry the creepy pervert hadn't been there to see them parade around the beach house. "Although..." Michael smiled softly, "I thought you did look like Magnum P.I. that one year." Maybe that TV show was where Gob got his habit of wearing Hawaiian shirts and booty shorts from.

Gob smiled back and kissed him. "That was the year I did magic for the first time. Remember, you bought me that magic kit."

"I bought it for me. You stole it and my dove while I was rescuing Buster."

"I know, Mr. Big Shot Hero! You couldn't have saved him on the beach? You had to bring him inside to show off your rescue in front an audience. So you could win the pageant!"

"I didn't mean to..." But if Michael was honest with himself, he did get a warped satisfaction out of being the hero, and he'd tried to recreate that feeling for years with his "saving the family" routine.

Gob pouted at the memory. "You upstaged me and missed my whole act. I was really good." He wasn't. "Even came up with 'abra-cadaver' when the dove died." Gob was capable of learning big words when he wanted to. "From whence it came."

Michael patted his brother's head patiently. "I guess I should have suspected when you wore that fancy colored vest to supposedly do push ups. And were you the one who wrote Buster's talent as 'unleashed' on that poster?"

"Yeah, stupid Michael. Always ignoring clues right in front of you." For being the supposedly good, smart son, Michael sure was selectively blind and deaf a lot.

Michael sighed. "I guess so. I didn't think you were serious when you talked about defying Mom and letting Buster go swim in the ocean."

"Of course I was, Michael! I always help Buster. Like how I motivated him to go on the slide and the swings."

By punching him. As a kid, Michael had realized that Gob never thought of himself as bullying Buster. He merely thought he was toughening Buster up so he wouldn't be teased like sissy cousin Larry and get thrown out of the family. So Gob setting Buster free from his leash and taking him out to the ocean had been another misguided attempt at helping his baby brother. If only Gob had realized that he needed to actually stay and teach Buster how to swim, rather than just "tell" him how...

Gob said, "I tried to save Buster too, by sending that dead dove's spirit to revive him. You don't know that it didn't work."

Michael ignored the suggestion that poorly performed magic, rather than CPR, had saved Buster's life. Instead he said, "I didn't mean to make you jealous--"

"Jealous!" Gob scoffed. "I saw how jealous you were when Buster got to be in the July 4th parade that year. You said--"

"He pushed Aunt Mimi down the stairs, and Mom gets him in the parade. I saved Buster from drowning and just got a magician trophy." After Gob had pointed out Michael's jealousy of Buster in the parade, Michael tried to be more selfless from then on. Or at least he pretended to be pure of heart and less Bluth-like in his motivations so he could claim moral superiority to the rest of the family.

Gob rolled his eyes and muttered, "Ungrateful Mikey. Typical." He didn't appreciate the trophy, even though Gob had been desperate for it.

Michael sighed and felt ashamed of his self-absorbed reaction to finding out that Aunt Mimi died. He and Gob had been out scuba diving to make up after the family pageant, and Lindsay had not witnessed the death either, though she was suspicious since Mom was arguing with Mimi about taking Lindsay on a cruise. Lucille had claimed that it was all an accident, that Buster had tripped over the leash of his Lucille Ball, and knocked over Mimi by mistake. Both she and the ball had fallen down the stairs. "He won't get into trouble. He's just a boy." Mom talked to the police privately as they took Mimi's body away. A few days later, Mimi was buried and Mom took Buster to get hypnosis so he would forget about the trauma of witnessing Mimi's death. Then Buster's juvenile records were sealed and Lucille somehow got Buster into the July 4th parade so he would cheer up and forget about Mimi.

Lindsay remained suspicious of Mom, who had wanted to stop Mimi from taking her on a cruise. Mom made Lindsay shut up by sending her to be hypnotized too, then letting her visit their grandmother Nana instead of going on a cruise. It was weird that Lindsay first met Tobias in 1982, when he was a student doing his doctoral research on suppressing memories. Of course, at the time, none of the Bluths knew about the future, when Lindsay would start dating Tobias and marry him in the 1990s.

"That was weird, huh?" Michael asked, but then realized that Gob had zoned out again while remembering their horrible childhood. "Gob?" he kissed his brother to rouse him. "You okay?"

Gob blinked and looked at his brother, now his lover, finally running away with him to Cabo. "Mikey." He nuzzled him.

Michael smiled and caressed him lovingly. "I'm so glad we escaped them finally. If only we had done it before."

Gob nodded and remembered his plans to run away with Mikey when they were kids. "I would have taken you on a magic tour with me. You liked magic then, remember?"

Michael nodded. "Yeah, I did, but then you stole it from me. I was mad at first, but since I won anyway, and Mom and Dad wouldn't let you play piano for your talent, I let you keep my kit while I played the old guitar." That was part of what they had discussed when going scuba diving, that Gob's talent from now on would be magic so he wouldn't have to do push ups at the gym anymore. Of course, Michael had expected that Gob would get better at magic with more time to rehearse.

Meanwhile, Gob had been touched by Michael's gesture, so forgave his brother for being a hero and winning in 1982. "But then you started making fun of magic," Gob complained.

"Only after you set Tracey's hair on fire." Michael became angry and suspicious that Gob was sabotaging his marriage out of jealousy. "I'm sorry, Gob. I resented you and was kind of jealous that you could go off and do magic, while Dad wouldn't let me be a lawyer."

And of course the brothers kept being manipulated into boyfights, keeping their distance from each other until they started making up and being friends again in the 2000s.

Gob pointed out, "And George Michael likes magic too, so we're all the same."

"Yeah," Michael agreed and hoped that somehow he could make George Michael accept them and they could be a weird little family of magicians and magic assistants some day. Maybe with Steve Holt too. Gob just needed to make a convincing fake birth certificate for Michael, so they could tell their sons that they weren't really brothers. After all, the Nichael birth certificate was full of errors and could easily be discredited. "You're magical," he said again.

Gob kissed Michael and tried to convince himself that they were truly the same, that they always had been, so he didn't need Tony anymore. But still, the magic slogan nagged at him. "Feel the wonder inside you." He still wished he could feel Tony inside him again, and he half wondered if Michael wanted to feel Wonder inside him too. If only they could all be together in a magic, loving threesome.

Michael kept kissing Gob and assuring him that he wouldn't make fun of magic anymore or turn George Michael against him. They would just "love each other" like Gob's magic slogan.

"Mikey." Gob made love to him again and tried to lose himself in his brother without thinking about Tony Wonder, much less the dove that attacked him in his nightmare. Kind of weird, actually, given that a lot of his nightmares since being stuck in the storage unit were about ostriches attacking him. Whatever happened to that, he wondered?


	9. Hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In season 5, Gob appears turned on by Mrs. Veal's boobs, but rather than use the word "bisexual" the narrator suggests that the conversion therapy has "worked" on Gob. I think that's a harmful thing to say, even in jest. And the gay mafia shouldn't have continued to threaten Gob for skipping out on the therapy, especially since they didn't actually kill Tony Wonder, who apparently has been doing the "fake" gay act for years before getting punished. Anyway, if Gob is bisexual, then why was he so awkward with his Beard? This show seems indecisive and inconsistent about sexuality.
> 
> Also, Jason Bateman did magic in an episode of _The Hogan Family_ called "The Go-Between." Jason's character David rehearses for a charity show, starting out with a ventriloquist's dummy named Clifford, then moving onto a magic act as Hoganini the Magnificent, until he locks his aunt Sandy in a magic box. You should check it out. It's not on Youtube, but I think it's in syndication on Antenna TV now.

It was about 7am on July 4th when Michael woke up with an urgent need to pee, so he got up gingerly from bed and pulled on a robe before going to the bathroom, aka the head in nautical terms. He walked a little funny from being thoroughly fucked last night. Twice.

Gob had fucked him more slowly the second time, not as frantic as before but still passionate. They had kissed and gazed at each other intensely while Gob got him ready with lube. Michael was a little looser the second time, loving the way that Gob's magical fingers stretched him and teased his prostate until he gasped. He eagerly stroked Gob hard, then put the condom on him and started to roll over again, but Gob showed him a new position lying on their sides together. Holding one of Michael's legs out of the way, Gob slid into him from behind. The embrace felt intimate and sensual, with Gob pushing deep inside while giving him a reach-around with his still slippery fingers. Michael sighed and moaned, closing his eyes while Gob sucked on his hickey again. It felt very possessive, especially when Gob only fucked him in shallow thrusts, as if he didn't want to pull out of him at all. Gob gave him more friction with his hands, but otherwise kept a gentle rocking rhythm that wouldn't excite him too fast. Gob said he wanted to make this last, and Michael enjoyed learning this new position that was easier on his knees.

At 7am, Michael still smiled in satisfaction at the naughty memories. After peeing, he decided that he might as well shower too. Gob had only given him a cursory cleaning with a hand towel when they disentangled and fell asleep. So Michael hung up his robe and stepped into the stall. The warm water helped him relax and ease his sore muscles while he washed and recalled showering with Gob the other morning. Michael became curious of what it might feel like to top Gob in turn. Between them, they might be able to break his record of having sex three times in one night.

After drying off, he came back to bed in the robe, and he wiped Gob clean with a damp towel. His brother did not wake, but muttered in his sleep, "We made quite a mess, Maria."

Due to the roofie Gob gave him on Cinco, Michael didn't recall that Gob had at first mistaken him for a maid named Maria when he arrived at the model home that night. With a frown, Michael thought "Maria" might be one of Gob's many girlfriends, or possibly someone he'd cheated on Joni Beard with. He tried not to be jealous; after all, Tony was the one who broke Gob's heart.

Michael sighed sadly at the thought of all the years Gob spent in the closet, fucking girls not only to get back at Michael, but also out of fear of rejection by their homophobic parents. It was such a waste. He remembered how Dad made fun of "sissy cousin Larry" since they were kids, and how he'd tried to shove Tobias out of a moving car once. Meanwhile, Mom had been more publicly hostile, what with her magazine cover mocking gay marriage, and her trying to frame the Hot Cops/Sailors for hijacking the Queen Mary. With such homophobic parents, Gob had stayed firmly in denial despite all the gay sex he was secretly having.

To tell the truth, even Michael had been too afraid all these years to come out as bisexual, either. It was just something he privately knew about himself and never discussed with anyone except Gob, who was jealous of Tracey and didn't believe that "bisexual" was a real thing, anyway. Besides, in his effort to be less Bluth-like, Michael routinely bottled his emotions up in order to be more normal and healthy; Gob called him a robot for that. Michael could have tried dating guys for a change, after all his dating disasters with women, but he found excuses not to, like working so much that he had no time to date at all. Or not wanting Barry and Tobias to hit on him more than they already did.

When he quit the family for years, Michael found that he missed Gob and their incestuous feelings more than he craved the company of other guys who might remind him of what he still could not have. Sudden Valley became his new hiding place, his new Escondite. The loneliness and emotional suppression took its toll on him over the years. At UC Irvine, when P-Hound had joked about Michael being in the gay magazine _Attitude_ instead of _Altitude_ , Michael even got overly defensive and angry, worried as usual about what George Michael would think. In a way, he wasn't much better than Gob at being honest in relationships. Michael worried that his own reluctance to come out to his family might have contributed to Gob being afraid to leave the closet too. If even the favorite son didn't want to risk getting kicked out of the company or the family, then what chance did Gob have?

Michael resolved to make it up to Gob, and spend all their time in Mexico indulging his brother and loving him thoroughly. No more trying to be a repressed and "normal" robot. Time to be reckless and selfish and crazy like the Bluths they were. Crazy in love.

Gob soon woke up with Michael holding onto him tightly and kissing him. "Mikey?"

"Good morning," he said with a fond smile. Gob absently patted his hair down again, and Michael let him. "Gob, I just realized that it's July 4th today. Happy Independence from Mom and Dad."

"Oh." He shrugged. "Yeah, okay. Happy Independence!" Gob was glad to escape to Mexico, to leave the family before they could kick him out for coming out during the parade illusion.

"We're free." Michael walked fingers across his skin suggestively. "We should celebrate. Maybe have our own parade and fireworks."

"In Mexico?" Gob asked, before realizing that Michael meant more sex. "Oh, uh, could we have breakfast first?"

Michael laughed and nodded. "You're right, we could both use a break after last night." He sat up in bed. "Besides, we should probably leave Ensenada before we get charged for another day docked at the pier." So he got out of bed and started to get dressed.

Gob noticed his brother walking funny and started to joke about how Michael liked magic inside him, but that reminded him of "feel the Wonder inside you" so he didn't say it. When Michael noticed him staring at his ass, Gob covered up with, "Hey, you good?"

"I'm fine." Michael was touched that his brother was concerned. "Maybe a little sore, but I'll get used to it."

"Good."

Michael kissed him, then headed upstairs to make breakfast. No point in waiting here if Gob was going to tell him again not to watch him put on his magic tricks for the day.

"See ya." Gob sighed and went to shower alone, feeling sad about Tony Wonder again. He also felt guilty and frustrated because he fucked Michael so much last night, trying to cherish the good thing he had, but he still had another dream about that damned magician.

Gob remembered that night on Cinco, unsure whether the sex had been real, or if Tony was just pretending for the sex tape, to prove he was gay. Had any of it been real? Probably not, if he took a roofie to forget it and continued to screw over Gob by escaping the parade float. Gob wanted to discuss it all with Franklin but he was also hungry for breakfast.

So he dried and dressed, making his way above deck to join his brother . Michael only poured cereal for breakfast, saying they better hurry before the bay got crowded with boats. "Besides, we should get farther away from America to make sure Mom and Dad don't send a private eye or bounty hunter to find us."

Gob agreed and ate quickly to avoid talking.

"But really they're probably searching for Buster, not us." Michael worried a little about Buster's escape from the July 2nd parade, but quickly became self-centered again when he checked the time on his watch. He put the dishes in the galley sink and asked, "Can you untie the yacht, and I'll go up to the bridge?"

"Sure." The perfect to excuse to separate, then he could go talk to Franklin in the other cabin downstairs. Michael couldn't just put the autopilot back on course for Cabo because Gob remembered from the 1980s yacht races that they needed to go around a long peninsula next. (Gob always said that it looked like a raggedy penis on the map). Michael would be occupied for a while before he could leave the bridge.

So Gob untied the yacht and pulled up anchor, then Michael steered them out of the busy port as expected. Gob headed downstairs and sat on the twin bed with Franklin. He told his friend all about fucking Michael twice last night. 

He also mentioned his confession about syphilis beforehand. "Michael even said he loved me and I was worth it, even though we're not healthy and normal."

"What's so great about being normal?"

"Yeah, that's totally what I said!"

Finally Gob stopped bragging about sex long enough to talk about his dreams of Tony and his childhood memories of the pageant at the beach house. "I mean, 'Feel the Wonder Inside You.' That's so gay."

Franklin said, "Yeah, you told him it was a gay magic kit. Such a dork."

Gob nodded. "But, does it mean, like, he might want Tony Wonder too, if he met him? Really met him, and didn't say 'I knew it!' like a smug bastard."

"He's so smug about magic. Acting like he could do it better."

"Michael said he wouldn't make fun of magic anymore. Said he was all mad about me setting Tracey's hair on fire at the wedding and jealous of my magic career because Dad wouldn't let him be a lawyer."

Franklin complained, "Bitch held a grudge a long time! Wouldn't let you do magic for George Michael on Spring Break."

"I know. Now he says he won't turn George Michael against me anymore. He even said that we should have run away after Tracey died; gone to Phoenix or Lake Tahoe so he could go to law school. He said I could make a fake birth certificate to convince George Michael to accept us. We could be a family."

Franklin's skepticism thawed a little. "You think he wants that now?"

Gob shrugged. "It depends on what happens when we get back to the States. He'll have to go back to work at Search, and we'll have to be just brothers again, I guess, so the internet doesn't find out. Or maybe George Michael's software will be done and we can Fakeblock it? I don't know if he would believe a fake birth certificate now if he's some computer genius."

"Everybody always says that Michael's smart, but he's stupid and blind a lot."

"I know. So maybe George Michael's the same and would believe us? But Maeby might be more suspicious and he's been making out with her sometimes."

"Even though he was dating that actress?"

"Yeah, I don't know. Maybe it's for the Fakeblock money. Or maybe it's because he's a motherboy wanting a redhead like his mom? Michael said she looked like Tracey. It's weird, but Michael said he's not going to interfere anymore. George Michael's all grown up now and he can deal with it while we're in Mexico."

"Good," Franklin said.

Gob nodded. Michael had been too clingy and suffocating with his son for years. It was time to give the kid some space and admit he wasn't a kid anymore. "I'll miss him, though, if he doesn't accept us. I guess we'll get kicked out of the family or something." At least he and Michael had each other. "It's sad, 'cause George Michael likes magic too. Or at least he did until he got mad at me for taking him to the Gothic Castle as my arm candy bean. Shouldn't have kissed him, but Michael wouldn't be my date that night."

Franklin said, "What if Tony saw you kissing Michael?"

Gob imagined the scenario, dressed in leather like all of Tony's gay fans... Michael on his arm, looking all angry hot and arguing about George Michael... Then a kiss, a hot wrong kiss to shut up his homophobic complaints. Would Michael have melted into him, would he have remembered their secret scuba dives and given in? Would Gob have forgotten about his plan for revenge against Tony? Would Michael forget about meeting George Michael? Would they have left the club and gone on a series of escalating dares that night? Would they have gone home together, or gone scuba diving again? Would that have been better than falling in love with Tony Wonder and getting his heart broken?

Gob wasn't sure, and he started to hear the music again.

Michael finally found him. "Gob? Hey," he came closer and prodded him. "You okay?"

Gob stuttered anxiously, "Sh-sh-should the guy who--who fucked his brother, shou--"

Michael hushed him with a kiss, slow and gentle, while putting the puppet aside on the bed. Then his hands moved in soothing motions until Gob was calm. "What's wrong?"

Gob looked away and didn't want to make Michael jealous about Tony, so he lied. "Nothing. I just... I'm worried what George Michael will think when we go back."

Michael sighed and pressed his forehead against Gob's. "If you want, you could try making a fake birth certificate for me. I don't know if he'll believe it, especially if Mom and Dad say it's not real. They lie all the time, but I don't know if he really trusts me more than them." Michael remembered the whole paranoid car chase to Mexico. "But we could try, Gob, if you want to risk it."

Gob hugged him close. "Maybe not at first. Maybe just see if he forgives us for disappearing for two months without leaving a note. Maybe--" That reminded him. "He might understand about us, Michael, if he likes family love. He's made out with Maeby, and he's a total motherboy with Rebel."

Michael considered this and nodded. "We can hope." He got emotional and began to hope that Gob wanted them to stay together even when they returned from Mexico. It would be incredibly difficult and risky to do that at Search, but Gob was worth it. So worth it. He wanted to be more than just Gob's rebound from Tony Wonder. He'd like to stay like this, in love and happy and free. "Yeah we can try."

Gob nodded and squeezed his brother's hands.

Michael kissed him urgently and started to get up from the bed. He didn't want to stay here with Franklin, when their cabin had a larger bed. "Let's make some fireworks." He pulled Gob from the room.

Gob asked, "Did you already steer around the raggedy penis?"

"What?"

"You know, the thing on the map," he motioned with his hands, "sticking out in the bay."

"The peninsula," Michael corrected out of habit. "Yes I did. We're back on autopilot now."

"Good." So Gob followed him to their own bed where they undressed again in a flurry of magic tricks. Michael sure was hot for him a lot when he only just lost has gay virginity the last couple of days. He must be a real bottom.

However this time when they were naked and Gob reached for the lube, Michael asked if he could be on top this time.

Gob was surprised and hesitant.

Michael raised an eyebrow. "You haven't been fucked before?" He had assumed that Gob sometimes did that when he followed people to their cars years ago.

"No, I have. I just..." Still he trailed off.

"What? You didn't like it?" He got worried that someone had been rough with Gob, mistreating him, as if a sex worker deserved no better. "Who?! What did he do?"

"No, no. It's not that." Gob finally confessed softly, "It's just, the last time I did that... it was on Cinco."

He blinked and realized. "You mean, with Tony?" When he thought about it at all, Michael had expected that Gob fucked Tony Wonder, who was so short, but apparently height made no difference in bed.

Gob nodded. "I just... it would remind me of him, and--"

Michael got it. "You wanna forget him now." I want you to forget him too, without roofies. He kissed Gob reassuringly. "Okay, let's do something else."

Gob suggested fucking him in a new position, but Michael said he was still sore, so Gob decided to teach Michael about blowjobs. A thorough tutorial certainly led to fireworks that day.

Still, as Michael cleaned up afterward, he did hope that his sex education wasn't over. He hoped that Gob was only asking him for a delay of fucking, not a total ban. If they waited until they were in Cabo, until Gob got comfortable there and got over Tony, then perhaps Gob would be willing to revisit the issue. It was just that, sex was about trust. Gob had been vulnerable with Tony, only to be abandoned on the morning after, then again at the parade. He just needed time to trust Michael that much too.


End file.
